EDITOR'S LETTER: Skill set
by Paul Doocey
October 21, 2012
“A man becomes preeminent; he’s expected to have
enthusiasms…”
—The
Untouchables (1987)
Well, I
may not rise to the title of “preeminent,” but I do have a pastime that draws
my admiration and gives me joy—fishing.
Yes,
depending on the season and the weather, I am one of those people you see down
on the river with hip waders and a fly rod, or at dusk on an ocean beach surf
casting, or at the lake trying my luck with a spinning reel and a handful of
lures. Over the years I spent thousands of dollars on this hobby, endured
sunburn and tick bites, cuts on my and hands and hooks embedded in my flesh.
I’ve
tried to explain this passion to the 90 percent or so of the population that
are not avid anglers, who can’t understand how I can spend hours in the heat or
cold, often with so little return. No doubt, part of the attraction is the fact
you actually are outside, in nature, and doing something physical. I think most
people understand that, especially those like me who spend hours each day in an
office at a computer.
The
other reasons are a bit more esoteric. I can’t deny the competitive aspect of
the experience—having the smarts and ability to know what kind of fish you
should be angling for, the best equipment and methods to catch it given the
circumstances, and catching it while others can’t. Then there’s the element of
surprise since, for most types of fishing, you can’t actually see what you’ve
caught until you reel in the line and the fish comes out of the water; every
tug and pull on the line is a mystery waiting to be revealed. If I was to parse
these aspects of fishing down to a couple of words, I would use “skill” and
“reward.”
This
might also help explain why the concept of skill-based casino games is such a
draw to me. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy and understand the current slot
machine experience presented by gaming facilities, which, in a nutshell, can be
described as offering affordable entertainment with a chance for substantial
prize. But if I were to equate slot gaming to fishing, I’d say it’s people
endlessly throwing baited lines in the water and waiting for the inevitable
fish to bite, a circumstance where luck trumps skill, which annoys me to no
end. Which is why the very idea of a skill component added to a slot excites
me—especially if it is something that I can practice and master that eventually
improves my odds of winning. So bring on Big Buck Hunter and its ersatz rifle
and targets and the promise that as I improve my aim, I improve my odds of
winning.
But,
unfortunately, this really is not what slot vendors are able to offer with
today’s skill games—most gaming jurisdictions insist machine results must be
truly random, which, really, is the antithesis of skill. So no matter how much
I fine tune my skill of shooting electronic ducks on the wing, the chances of
my winning the grand prize from a skill slot are no different from someone who
feeds in a dollar and mindlessly spins the reels—not necessarily a bad thing
from a casino business standpoint, but disappointing to me nonetheless.
Here’s
hoping skill slots will evolve to truly integrate skill into the game mix.
Indeed, there are already some online casinos that combine video game-style
play with real-money wagering. I’m not saying this will become commonplace in
land-based properties, but I like to think there’s space for these types of
games on the casino floor, if for no other reason than they may attract younger
clientele.
It’s a
big tent idea—I hope casinos are more successful with that concept than some
political parties have been.
Paul Doocey
is editor of Casino Journal magazine. He can be reached at dooceyp@bnpmedia.com.
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